Tesla, once the automotive industry leader in customer loyalty, has seen its brand loyalty collapse after CEO Elon Musk publicly expressed conservative political values, according to exclusive data from research firm S&P Global Mobility.
Reuters reports that Elon Musk’s has long enjoyed the highest repeat customer rate in the automotive industry. However, new data from S&P Global Mobility reveals that the company’s brand loyalty has plummeted since CEO Elon Musk endorsed President Donald Trump in July 2024. Musk’s betrayal of Trump has done little to bring its leftist customer base back to the company.
The data, based on an analysis of vehicle registration information from all 50 states, shows that Tesla’s customer loyalty peaked in June 2024 at an impressive 73 percent. This meant that nearly three-quarters of Tesla-owning households in the market for a new car opted to purchase another Tesla.
However, immediately following Musk’s endorsement of Trump in July 2024, Tesla’s loyalty rate began to nosedive. It bottomed out at just 49.9 percent in March 2025, falling below the industry average, after Musk started working with the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and began laying off thousands of federal workers.
While Tesla’s U.S. loyalty rate has since rebounded slightly to 57.4 percent as of May 2025, it remains well below the company’s previous industry-leading position. Tesla now trails domestic automakers like Chevrolet and Ford in customer loyalty, though it remains slightly ahead of Toyota.
Analysts point to Musk’s increasing political activism as a key factor in turning off many customers in Tesla’s eco-conscious base. “If they have Democratic leanings, then perhaps they consider other brands in addition to Tesla,” noted Seth Goldstein, an analyst at Morningstar.
Breitbart News recently reported on a study that shows leftists aren’t just turned off from buying Teslas — they’re turning away from EVs in general:
Leftists are now far less likely to purchase Tesla EVs due to growing disgust with Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s recent rightward political turn, according to a new study published in the journal Nature. Although that tracks with Tesla dismal sales in the last quarter, the second finding of the study was quite surprising. Fanatical leftists are not turning to Tesla’s competitors, they’re simply buying less electric vehicles.
The research, conducted by psychologist Alexandra Flores from Williams College, found that while leftists had mostly positive intentions around buying electric vehicles as recently as August 2023, their support eroded significantly in the wake of Musk’s alliance with President Donald Trump. Musk helped propel Trump to victory in the 2024 election and later served as his top adviser.
Tesla is also facing heightened competition from a growing array of electric vehicles from established automakers like General Motors, Hyundai, and BMW. The company’s aging model lineup and the disappointing reception for its Cybertruck have further contributed to its challenges.
The decline in brand loyalty has coincided with an eight percent drop in Tesla’s U.S. vehicle sales in the first five months of 2025. In Europe, where public backlash against Musk’s political involvement has been especially strong, Tesla’s sales plummeted 33 percent in the first half of the year.
Read more at Reuters here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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